Siemens power station contract a boost for regional NSW

AGL Energy Limited (AGL) has announced approval on a $63 million project to install a distributed control system (DCS) at AGL Macquarie’s Bayswater power station in the NSW Hunter Valley. The DCS is a semiautomated system that monitors, controls and instructs the various parts of a power station, to help manage efficient performance and operation.

AGL Macquarie’s Bayswater and Liddell power stations combined supply approximately 30% of electricity demand in NSW and, as part of the project, the company has executed a contract with Siemens Australia to deliver and maintain the DCS and a simulator training facility.

The installation will include Siemens’ DCS: SPPA-T3000 control system and SPPA S3000 simulator.

AGL Macquarie General Manager Ian Brooksbank said this is an exciting announcement for the future of Bayswater power station and a significant investment that is a boost for the Hunter economy.

“The new DCS will enhance safety, improve power station reliability and enable the plant to operate more efficiently. It will transform how we operate the plant and perform as a business.

"Our employees will be using world-leading technology to operate one of Australia’s largest and most important power stations,” said Brooksbank.

Speaking on the project win, David Pryke, executive general manager for Siemens Australia’s Power and Gas Division, said, “Cost and resource efficiency are key concerns for most plant operators. With AGL, we are aiming to deliver benchmark technologies at the Bayswater power station that not only help plant operators, but also the local and state economies.”

Installation of the DCS is expected to start in September 2017 during a major maintenance outage on Bayswater Unit 1, and continue on successive planned unit outages until late 2019. The project also includes construction of a new control room and training simulator, which will be available from July 2017.

Bayswater power station was commissioned in 1985–86 and consists of four generating units with a total capacity of 2640 MW. Bayswater produces approximately 15,000 GWh of electricity per annum, or enough to power two million average Australian homes.